Henley on thames

Restoration and Eighteenth Century Literature

By joshjensen94
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    Era of Reason

    During this section of the course we saw a clashing of literature between science (or reason) and religion. The text which still promotes religion and respects the church was Bunyan's The Pilgrim’s Progress. Bunyan had heavy opposition in this era however, through works from the Royal Society of London and Sir Isaac Newton whose writings promoted the use of science and reason rather than religious texts. Wycherly's The Country Wife which is a comedy also has anti-puritan ideology in it.

  • Robert Boyle, Trials Proposed by Mr. Boyle to Dr. Lower.

  • Thomas Coxe, An Account of Another Experiment of Transfusion.

  • Thomas Sprat, The History of the Royal Society of London.

  • Sir Isaac Newton, New Theory About Lights and Colours.

  • John Wilmot, Earl of Rochester, Poems

  • William Wycherly, The Country Wife

  • John Bunyan, The Pilgrim’s Progress

    John Bunyan, The Pilgrim’s Progress

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    Social Reform

    This era we see a sort of social reform. At the forefront of this reform are strong female writers Aphra Behn and Mary Astell. Behn's novel Oroonoko goes against the norm of the type by featuring a epic-like hero who is of African decent and the story can be viewed as condemning the slave trade. Astell changes the social norm of the time by asking women to become educated as well as warning of the quarrels of marriage.
  • Aphra Behn, Oroonoko

    Aphra Behn, Oroonoko

  • John Locke, An Essay Concerning Human Understanding.

  • Mary Astell, A Serious Proposal to the Ladies

  • Mary Astell, Reflections Upon Marriage.

  • Daniel Defoe, A Relation of the Apparition of Mrs. Veal

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    Travel Narrative

    This era was formed around the popular genre known as the travel narrative. Two of the stories here highlighting this genre are Defoe's Robinson Crusoe and Swift's Gulliver's Travels. Crusoe fits the true mold of a travel narrative with a ship-wrecked man seeking survival on an isolated island. It also serves a duel purpose as having a strong religious message like the previously mentioned text The Pilgrim's Progress. Swift's Gulliver's Travels is a satire which mocks travel narratives.

  • Alexander Pope, The Rape of Lock

  • Daniel Defoe, Robinson Crusoe

    Daniel Defoe, Robinson Crusoe

  • Lady Mary Wortley Montagu, A Plain Account of the Innoculation of Smallpox

  • Lady Wortley Montagu, Epistle from Mrs. Yonge to Her Husband

  • Eliza Haywood, Fantomina

  • Jonathan Swift, Gulliver's Travels,

    Jonathan Swift, Gulliver's Travels,

  • Will Chesselden, An An Account of Some Observations Made by a Young (Blind) Gentleman.

  • John Gay, The Beggar's Opera

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    Satire

    This era marked a change in literary interests of the English. With the satire we see a new form of comedy which serves a dual purpose as a political commentary. Works in this era which can be seen as satire were Swift's Gulliver's Travels and A Modest Proposal. Also serving as a satire is Swift's The Lady's Dressing Room and Lady Mary Wortley Montagu's response to his lewd poem.

  • Jonathan Swift, A Modest Proposal

  • The Lady's Dressing Room

  • Lady Mary Wortley Montagu, The Reason's that Induced Dr. S. to Write... The Lady's Dressing Room

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    Odes, Elegies and Others

    The most popular genre of this timeframe was the ode and elegy. The ode was typically intended to be sung and comes in 3 different forms: the Pindaric, Horatian, and Irregular.An elegy is a poem which typically laments death. This era shows an interest in a new form of art as well as an evolution in the use of poetry.

  • Thomson, Rule Britannia

  • Eliza Haywood, The Female Spectator

  • William Collins, Ode to Fear

  • David Hume, An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding.

  • Samuel Johnson, The Rambler

  • Thomas Gray, Elegy in a Country Graveyard

  • Samuel Johnson, A Dictionary of the English Language.

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    Biographical Era

    The Biographical Era reflects a time where people were now more interested in either non-fiction or realistic fiction. An example of realistic fiction would be epistolary novel Evelina which is written in the form of letters. This story reflects true human emotion and sentiments and is not driven by plot or unrealistic supernatural forces. The biography is also popular in this time such as Life of Samuel Johnson for it gives readers access to applicable knowledge about people they admire.

  • Frances Burney, Evelina

  • James Boswell, Life of Samuel Johnson

  • Benjamin Franklin, The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin.